Assam floods: Over 200 animals died in Kaziranga National Park since 10 August, reveals govt report

Animal casualty in the famed Kaziranga National Park (KNP) crossed 350 after the second wave of floods in Assam inundated 80 percent of the park. As many as 369 animals, including 20 rhinos, have died in the last two floods in Assam. The second wave of floods, which hit Assam on 10 August, was one of the worst Kaziranga had experienced in the last three decades, The Indian Expressreported.

According to a statement released by the Office of the Divisional Forrest Officer (DFO), Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, 202 animals died due to drowning and two others later succumbed to their injuries.

Since 10 August, 12 rhinos, 169 hog deer, three elephants, four wild boars, nine sambhar deer, two swamp deer, two buffaloes and one porcupine have died, the statement said.

File image of rhinoceroses at the flooded Kaziranga National Park in Assam. Reuters

"Carcasses are being recovered daily," KNP Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Rohini Ballav Saikia, said. More carcasses are likely to surface with the drop in water levels, officials told The Times of India.

The statement released on Friday also said that 41 hog deers and six rhinos were rescued by forest officials, while six rhinos are currently under medical treatment.

Intensified water patrolling is on by KNP guards, task force, and protection force, along with members from NGOs, Wildlife Trust of India and forest department employees for rescuing, recovering and making assessment of species trapped or dead in the national park, Saikia said.

Currently, animals in KNP are moving in search of food available on both sides of NH-37 and the adjacent tea gardens towards the higher altitudes of Karbi Anglong district, he said. Forest department and security personnel are fixing hoardings, posters, banners to restrict speed limit of vehicles on the NH-37 passing through the park between 20 to 40 km per hour, DFO said.